When Benjamin Franklin conducted his first electricity experiments, people didn’t even know what electricity was, let alone how it was transmitted. They found it mystical. When he said that lightning was a kind of electricity, what do you think the crowd, who saw lightning as something divine, said?
“Maaann you are crazy, get the fuck out of here.”
(Or in polite translation: “Sir, have you lost your mind?”)
In ancient times, if you told people they’d one day travel to the other side of the world while sitting still, how would they react?
And a hundred years ago, if you said we’d go to the Moon?
If you told them they’d carry a notebook, phone, watch, magnifier, compass, parking ticket, airplane ticket, and much more, all inside a tiny box in their pocket?
If you said we’d land a rover on Mars?
Or that in an age when every natural phenomenon was seen as God’s work, you’d speak of atoms and DNA?
If you told them that unlike Zeus, we’d use water, the sun, and the wind as energy sources?
That we’d connect the whole world with cables stretching for thousands of kilometers under the ocean?
Yes, all of this sounds normal today, but in their time, if you’d said such things, they’d call you CRAZY!
And yet, a few people ignored all the criticism, reactions, and blank stares. They didn’t wait for approval, they simply did what they believed in, and they succeeded.
Think about it: the world is a mess. Everyone is fighting. Tensions are high. And one person stands up and says,
“I don’t think time flows the same for everyone. I can prove it.”
What would you say?
You can already see most of the possible answers in street interviews today:
“People can’t even afford bread,”
“Give me a break,”
“Can’t even find food, wants to do science,”
“He’s unpatriotic,”
“He’s not one of us,” etc.
Thousands of years pass, and yet nothing really changes. People still instantly reject every unfamiliar idea or thought. But some ignore all that noise and stay focused on what they believe is right. and they succeed.
That long introduction was intentional, because I didn’t want to pick just one example.
So, back to our topic: to succeed in life, to have peace of mind, to spend more time on what matters, and to get what we want. we must learn to think freely and shut our ears to every kind of doubt and criticism.
Today, that’s exactly what we’ll talk about: HOW TO BE A FREE INDIVIDUAL!
(Note: The definition of “success” varies from person to person. You don’t have to change the world.)
Be Productive
You should be able to solve a problem or an urgent issue quickly. Reflecting on how you solved problems in the past or why you couldn’t. broadens your perspective. You’ll discover your strengths and weaknesses, and it will become easier to focus on your positive sides.
Be Open to Help
Be open to both social and professional help. That doesn’t mean begging or appearing weak. On the contrary, it means being social, communicative, and open to continuous learning.
Don’t Wait for Miracles
Miracles ended when cameras were invented.
The rest are just perception bias.
Why do people suddenly achieve things they thought impossible when they hit rock bottom? Because they have nothing left to lose, and finally give their best.
Some things, of course, are out of our control. “Luck” or “creating luck” can be factors.
Instead of torturing yourself with guilt for not being productive, or waiting for a miracle, face yourself, your situation, and the challenge in front of you.
Think and Answer Honestly
When you fail or things don’t go as planned:
– How often do you blame yourself?
– How often do you blame others?
– Are you truly free in your decisions?
– Can you evaluate things objectively?
– Are you actively contributing to the process whose outcome you expect to be positive?
– Are you ready to fight for success, or do you give up helplessly halfway?
– Do you learn from your mistakes? Can you see both negative and positive results as lessons?
If your honest answer to all these questions is “yes,” then congratulations, you’re someone who can solve problems, stay calm under pressure, and live freely.
The rest of this text is for those who answered “no.”
When Solving a Problem, How Do You Feel?
A) I handle it myself
B) I handle it with help from others
C) I can’t handle it
If your answer is C, it’s time to work a bit on awareness.
Why do you need help? What are your fears? How did you manage to succeed in the past?
Another route is professional help. Be open, be honest, be active in the sessions, and listen to your therapist.
Beyond that, review your goals, set small achievable targets, work on your problem-solving skills, read more, develop your social circle, and step into environments that make you uncomfortable. Be fair and kind to yourself. Over time, you’ll notice that things start improving.
Be Multi-Dimensional
Expanding the range of things you do and the problems you face will give you new ideas. You’ll find new motivations, improve your planning ability, and enhance your adaptability.
But the most important thing—stick to your plans. Keep going no matter what.
Work on Your Sense of Responsibility
Responsibility has been a bleeding wound since childhood.
The teacher is always to blame, the exam is too hard. Or at home—it’s “Don’t touch that,” “Don’t get dirty,” “Eat your food.”
If you open a history book, you’ll see the same pattern: “We lost because of others,” “We won thanks to a great leader.” From childhood, responsibility is always externalized—placed on someone else’s shoulders.
So, is it possible to talk about independence when that’s how we’re raised?
To be free, you must own that sense of responsibility.
How? By assigning yourself independent tasks, planning them, setting deadlines, and thinking about how to execute them. By playing team games, joining activities, volunteering when possible, saying yes to responsibilities at work or school without hesitation, taking responsibility in your relationships, and strengthening your sense of commitment.
This develops activity, responsibility, and commitment—all key to freedom. You’ll become more organized, take more initiative, and make freer decisions.
Work on Self-Confidence, the Future, and Your Skills
As I mentioned in the “How to Know Yourself” series, everything starts with analysis. Then you develop what you already have—and later, you acquire what you lack.
If you can’t do this alone, seek help. It might be a trusted friend, a psychologist, a mentor, a colleague who inspires you, or a personal development workshop. What matters is recognizing that need.
Family and Teachers
A note for families and teachers:
Leadership and authority can feel satisfying, but if you want to raise free individuals, you must lower the level of control and criticism. Support young people and trust them, so they can reveal their talents.
Especially during adolescence, when challenges appear, they must be encouraged and taught to solve problems freely.
Mistakes Are Part of the Process
We’ve all made wrong decisions and lived with the consequences. So, don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Everyone makes decisions based on their own reality—and eventually learns to make better ones.
What needs to be taught isn’t “always doing right,” but understanding that you are the one making the decision, whether it’s right or wrong—and that every decision has a consequence.
If you’re still not able to take responsibility for your actions, that’s okay too. Admitting it is already a step forward.
So What’s the Next Step?
- Set rules for yourself.
Ones you can realistically follow—about food, exercise, moral values, or daily habits. None of them are permanent, but they should be relevant for now. - Define the limits of your responsibility.
You’re not responsible for everything, and not everything is under your control. Don’t blame yourself for what you can’t change. But hold tight to the things that are truly within your power. - Clarify your obligations—home, work, family, school. These are your non-negotiables. Review them regularly, do your best, and stop hiding behind excuses.
- Develop personal, independent goals.
Make plans to reach them, take action, and evaluate the results. Be objective and realistic. As you start seeing good outcomes, your confidence and self-belief will grow. - Learn to accept your mistakes.
Take lessons from them. This also helps you understand others better. - Find a mentor if necessary.
Someone who can encourage you, maybe even challenge you, follow your progress, and contribute to your personal growth. I mention a partner here because relationships can have a powerful positive effect. You can motivate and track each other, share goals and plans openly, strengthen your bond, and even add rewards, punishments, or gestures to the process. That partner can also be a good friend—it doesn’t have to be romantic. If you’re still avoiding responsibility, the best thing to do is seek professional help. I repeat this like product placement, but only because people underestimate how important it really is. - Families and teachers again:
They must be constructive. To help young people develop this sense of responsibility, they need to act appropriately—take them seriously, be explanatory instead of critical, and show respect rather than dominance.
Who Am I to Say This?
Just an observer. I’ve been lucky with my own family and teachers. As the child of an educator, I’ve seen the difference it makes firsthand.
What I notice nowadays isn’t only the digital “cancel” and “hate” culture, but also Turkey’s social pattern of exclusion, labeling, and crushing others. The result: countless insecure, lost, anxious people—young and middle-aged—who don’t know what to do, don’t believe in themselves, and have forgotten their potential.
Yet no matter the conditions, respect, support, and free thought can open every door. Otherwise, how would even one successful person ever emerge from the 90% who struggle?
Freedom Starts with Facing Yourself
To increase your strength and confidence, you must be free.
Don’t fear confronting problems—fear wasting opportunities.
The only thing worth regretting is running away from challenges.
Stay Positive
A positive outlook is a cornerstone of freedom. Try to see the good in everything—even in death.
Death reminds us that everything we take seriously can vanish at any moment. It teaches us the value of time, of living every minute fully and meaningfully. It also shows how trivial our daily worries really are.
Every challenge in life is part of the experience. The tougher they are, the wiser and stronger you become.
In life, the weak lose.
So free yourself from weakness, helplessness, and self-doubt.
Be strong. Be yourself.
If you know your abilities and limits, no one can crush you. And you’ll also be able to help many others.
Health: The Foundation of Freedom
Develop a healthy lifestyle. Eat well, exercise, and live consciously.
A healthy life improves both your body and your mind. It boosts confidence and helps you see life more positively.
And Finally
Never forget: the passive ones—those who do nothing—are always the most miserable and hopeless.
To avoid becoming one of them, to be truly free—you must keep working.
If you believe you can do everything written here, then only one thing remains: Don’t waste time.
Think of time as money. Just as you count every coin that leaves your wallet, think of every second slipping away from your life.
It’s either now or now!
bahadirhancicek 
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